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About Carbonite

Carbonite Online Backup installs a client software program (Windows and Mac operating systems only, Linux-based systems are not supported) on the user’s computer that operates continuously in the background. This client software automatically seeks out new and changed files on the user’s computer and backs them up using incremental backup. Each file is compressed and encrypted using a 128-bit Blowfish encryption before it is sent to remote servers at the company's data centers via the Internet. (This of course requires that the user's computer be continually connected to the internet, and the speed of the internet connection will impact system performance.) Data is transmitted to the servers using a secure SSL link. The encrypted files are stored on 15-drive RAID 6 storage arrays. The client software also provides de-duplication at the bit level only. Thus files moved to a new drive will be backed up twice.

The program is designed to automatically back up user-generated content including text documents, spreadsheets, financial documents, photos, music, etc. Specifically, on a Windows PC, Carbonite backs up everything in the Documents and Settings folder, including the desktop, favorites, and all other files except for temporary, log and video files. Any file or folder can be added to the default backup if it is on a local (internal) drive formatted with the FAT32 or NTFS file systems. (According to the Carbonite website, the Home version will only backup internal drives whereas the HomePlus and HomePremium versions will also backup external drives.) The backup software integrates with Windows Explorer, adding green dots to the file icons of any backed up file. Adding or removing files from the backup is done using the right mouse button and the Windows context menus. The Windows version of Carbonite will keep multiple versions of backed up files. Carbonite can recover from some forms of Ransomware but this requires contacting Carbonite customer service. For Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5 (Leopard), Carbonite is controlled through System Preferences and using the contextual menu. File systems supported 'by default' on Mac OS X are supported by the Mac client with the exception of FAT. Note that Carbonite is not fully compatible with Lion, consuming around 100% CPU during backup.

The program also includes a remote access application that allows individual files to be downloaded to any computer using a web browser.

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Critic Reviews

If you’re just thinking of backing up a couple of gigabytes here and there, like your personal photos or documents, then Carbonite is definitely a service you should examine closer. It’s easy to use, has a decent pricing structure and backs up reliably.

So, should you use Carbonite for your business backup service? We think it’s a good choice. No company is perfect, but Carbonite, which offers lots of features, options and account types, is an excellent solution for keeping files and sensitive data secure. They have a good reputation and offer a really good product at prices easy to fit into any budget.

I use Carbonite to back up my computer, my phone and my tablet. It does it automatically every 24 hours and I never have to worry about losing my work, videos, music or photos. It also awesome because I can access all of my files on any of my devices from my phone, which is super convenient. Their prices are very reasonable and the service is completely reliable. I have been using the service for 4 years now and have never had any kinds of problems with it. Always reliable, always fast. I highly recommend Carbonite to anyone that needs easy backup and restore service without having to do a thing.

Pros : Fast, easy to use, reliable, can access all info from all devices

User Reviews

Favorable

1 In total

3

1

Maryna Bondarenko

In recent years, cloud-based synchronization tools have become more popular than traditional backup solutions. However, backup tools are still here. While Dropbox and similar software may be used daily, there are some files that just need to be copied somewhere in case of emergency. In this situation, Carbonite rocks because unlike cloud services it offers the unlimited storage for one computer backup even on the cheapest plan. When the unlimited storage is offered, you need to understand that there would be some limitations anyway. In the case of Carbonite, the limitations begin after the limit of 200 GB exceeds. If you have more files to backup you need to know that from 200 GB the service limits the bandwidth with which you can upload your files to the server. Carbonite has the handy client which helps with the backup and restore processes and also shows the account info. There is easy wizard for the backup setup, but keep in mind that videos are not included in the automatic backup. Choosing the automatic route, you will be provided with the option to choose from photos, documents, email, and music. If you want to have online copy for your video collection or application files, you need to choose manual backup setting. The automatic backup also doesn't copy big files that are more than 4 GB.

Pros :

Easy to setup client for backing up files for the occasional crisis.

Unlimited backup for one computer.

Carbonite Mobile apps for backup phone or tablet’s photos and videos to the cloud

Cons :

No free plan.

No automatic backup of video files.

No backup of network or attached drives.

Playing music or videos from the Web interface is not supported.

You need the separate Sync & Share app for syncing. Still it does not work as the Dropbox and others similar services.

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